Farewell to the pink Fulmer helmet

Last spring I said farewell to my beloved partner-in-crime, the Picky Bitch. Well, this riding season I will be bidding adieu to another longtime riding companion – my pink Fulmer helmet, which I acquired in… hm, I think early 2006.

So why’d I replace such a great piece of equipment? Well, for one thing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation suggests that a helmet’s protective qualities may deteriorate over time. They also recommend replacing your helmet every few years (or immediately if it has been dropped or damaged) because new materials are always in development that improve the weight and functionality. I also happened to receive a beautiful new pearl-white helmet as a Christmas gift.

I’ll introduce you to the new lid in a future post, but right this second I wanted to just acknowledge that the pink helmet has served me well: It protected my noggin when I dumped the bike in the mud over in Guthrie County one day… it served as a homing beacon for friends riding behind me through the chrome clot of Hulett, Wyoming on No Panties Wednesday… and on at least one occasion, it was the way someone at a rally recognized me (“You ride with a pink helmet, right?”).

With the arrival of the new helmet, the question arises of what to do with the pink one. I’m sentimental enough that I hate to throw it away, but it really wouldn’t be any good to someone else given its age. Maybe I’ll hang it on the wall in our basement bar as a memento. Or maybe hang it upside down on the porch with a philodendron in it. Anyway, suffice to say it’s seen more than a few great adventures.

I know how you feel about hanging up a loved one, like a good helmet. I had to finally retire my fav when it started acting like a parachute when I was riding. Turns out I had worn the padding down and it was so loose that it was catching too much wind :( Love to read about other lady bikers.

I can never discard my old gear! Why? Because if I keep it and hang it on the wall for me to see everytime I climb on my bike… it makes me smile. If I had a bar, I would hang it there. But, the plant in the helmet idea is tempting..said as my two old helmets groan, “oh no!” LOL I might have to put an add on Craigs list for old un-usable helmets and start some kind of recycling fad. Na..
Ride safe!!

I am also a sentimental person and it pains me to part with something I’ve already been attached to. However, if it really needs to be done, what I do is to just let it hang by the wall or sit on my special cabinet together with other mementos. Your idea of making it into a flower pot is also cool, at least you’ve made it into something useful again.

Hey gals, thank you all for commisserating with me. Shirley, Steve loves the idea of making a lamp! LOL I’m still thinking about the phildendron. :) Pam, my new helmet is a pearl white half-helmet like this one, with some added features. ‘Nother post coming up soon! Glad to know I’m not the only one who has a hard time letting go of “stuff.”